Issue 6

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0488dfc3.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0498dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Mrs. Davies                      Room 206</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mrs. Davies Room 20"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>  <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 1"><U>Issue 1</U></A> | Issue 6 | <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 3"><U>Issue Three</U></A> | <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 4"><U>Issue Four</U></A> | <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue Five"><U>Issue Five</U></A>  | <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 6"><U>Issue Six</U></A> | <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 7"><U>Issue Seven</U></A> | <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 8"><U>Issue Eight</U></A> | <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issue 9"><U>Issue Nine</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0498dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Issue 6</I></div> <div> Sitting Down With Mr. Spataro</div> <div> By: Sabrina Mastrogiovanni and Brianna Mir </div> <div>    It is now week 2 of our quest to discover more about our Liberty High School Staff. Last week, we presented to you Mr. Fleck. This week, we present to you Mr. Louis Spataro, our high school librarian. </div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> First question: Where were you born?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I was born in placeCityNew York City.</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: What did you do before becoming a librarian?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I was an art student in a university, and I had an art education, so I became a certified art teacher.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ah. And so did you teach art? Or…</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro: </U>I didn't teach art.</div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Oh, you didn't? </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I didn't. After college I taught English as a second language.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ahhh.. I see.</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Yeah. At the YMCA in placecountry-regionJapan.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> So are you fluent in Japanese?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I speak Japanese</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ahh. Ok. And uh, any other languages?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Nope. Just English and Japanese.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ok, so then, what made you go to placecountry-regionJapan then? Why Japan?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I was curious about placecountry-regionJapan. I had visited placecountry-regionJapan previously...</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Was it difficult to learn their language?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> No. When you're living in a country, studying the language is very easy because there's the television, signs, radio, and when everyone around you is speaking the language it's very easy to learn the language that way, as opposed to studying it in high School or college as I studied Spanish and French. You know, I almost couldn't speak or hear the language. I picked up French quickly, and once I went to placecountry-regionSpain I picked up that quickly. Which I-</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> For reinforcement, right?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Yeah. You really have to go to the country to learn, and within three or four months you'll be speaking and understanding it</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ok, now an extremely important question. Pepsi, or Coke? </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Neither. I don't drink caffeine whatsoever. So I don't drink coffee or tea.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> But what if there's non-caffeinated Pepsi? </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I don't drink non-caffeinated or de-caffeinated. I drink minus caffeine whatsoever. I find I sleep better. For many, many, years I drank espresso. Lots of caffeine. </div> <div> <I><U>Brianna:</U></I><I> I don't like espresso…</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> And so I stopped smoking - I smoked also. I stopped smoking, I stopped caffeine. I don't have any addictions. Almost.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Candy. Chocolates.</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> And I like chocolates. I like dark chocolate.</div> <div> <I><U>Brianna:</U></I><I> Chocolates, oh - everybody loves chocolates. </I></div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Alright, alright. If you could spend time in someone else's mind, whose mind would it be? </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Depends where I am. If I was in country-regionFrance I might want to be in the mind of a fantastic painter, or in placecountry-regionItaly it may be a fantastic painter or sculptor. Probably to do with art.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> How about the fantastic town of placeCityLiberty, StateNew York?. </I></div> <div> <I>(ALL LAUGH)</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> In placeCityLiberty, I'm satisfied where I am. Actually, in my mind.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Yeah, it is good to stay in your mind. Sometimes I kinda wander off… Yeah, but anyways. Uhh… Do you think it's weird how the `i' comes after the `e' in the word `weird'?” </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Yes, of course. But, the English language has so many irregularities. </div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> That's the weirdest part of it. </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> It's one of the hardest languages.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> That's kinda punny. </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Yes, that's very punny.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> I like puns. I'm a fan of puns. </I></div> <div> <I><U>Brianna:</U></I><I> Yeah.. She's a big...big... </I></div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Punatic. </I></div> <div> <I>(ALL LAUGH)</I></div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ok, ok. Do you live by some kind of philosophy?</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I've always done pretty much what I wanted to do. Gone where I went... where I wanted to go… I wanted to travel the world, and I did, and I was happy to be able to do that. It's a different… a different lifestyle.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Your favorite 80's song? </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> I don't have a favorite 80's song. No, I don't think so. Right now I'm listening to jazz guitar. Kenny Burrell. He's a very good jazz guitarist.</div> <div> <I><U>Brianna:</U></I><I> Yeah..</I> Li<I>ke Pink Floyd. </I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> My favorite Pink Floyd album is Division Bell.</div> <div> <I><U>Brianna:</U></I><I> I don't know their albums. I just know a couple of their songs and they sound good.</I></div> <div> <I>Sabrina: Some fan.</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> It's a great album, the whole thing. I'm listening a lot to Kenny Burrell.</div> <div> <I><U>Sabrina:</U></I><I> Ok! Well, that's a wrap! Thank you!</I></div> <div> <I><U>Brianna:</U></I><I> Thanks!</I></div> <div> <U>Spataro:</U> Thank you.</div> <div>    Another teacher, new knowledge gained, and more questions brewing in our minds. Want to know more about your teachers? Look out for the next issue of Libertas, and read your teachers lives before your very own. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dodgeball the Other Side of the Story </div> <div> By: Guadalupe Perez</div> <div>    Dodge ball: a great game full of spirit, or a ruthless battle of the strong and tough, where those who are meager and weak suffer. Sometimes, stories aren't seen from both sides. Dodge ball would be one of these stories. Most people concentrate on the football players and all of the other ripped jocks. Most people concentrate on those who can throw a dodge ball from one side of the gym to the other, and still make it be <I>the most</I> painful experience of one poor kid's life. However, it's time to look at those who hate dodge ball for their lack of ability, or just for what it stands for.</div> <div>    When Freshman Sabrina Mastrogiovanni was asked her opinion on the sport she replied, stating: </div> <div>    “I won't lie. I think playing dodge ball is like trying to do math homework while hanging from the placePlaceNameEmpire PlaceTypeState building. It's not fun, and extremely dangerous. During gym period, as I aimlessly stand around; an open and fairly still target, I try to find a point in the game. Oh-and I also wonder why no one chucks a ball at me to get me out. For some reason people prefer a moving target. Seriously, there are people <I>willing</I> to get out, and end up being part of the ten survivors burdened with the mounting pressure to catch one of those hurtling foam balls of impending doom. But that's a different story. Long story short: dodge ball's lame.”</div> <div>    Others, like Danielle Strassman, think it's “Barbaric.” Let's face it; some people don't enjoy the simple delight that comes from chucking balls as hard as we can at other people. So next time you're in the gym and about to throw a “hurtling foam ball of impending doom” think twice about it. Unless it's in self defense, of course.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Black History Month</div> <div> By: placeAsia Folsom</div> <div>    </div> <div>    Black History is American history! Just a month to celebrate the pain, the struggle, and the agony that African Americans went through! Every month we should celebrate the pain, the struggle, and the agony that helped shape the beautiful African American culture of today! Even though the month of February is over, that does not mean that the celebration of Black History is over. It does not mean that the bulletins in placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceNameCentral PlaceTypeHigh School should be taken down. We should not stop educating our children about Black History. We should not forget about the slavery, the racism, the embarrassment, the beatings, the hangings, the days without food and water that my people, my African American people, fought through and overcame, so that one day children of all races would be able to go to school together and learn, that one day people of all races may be together as one. Oh, the fight was won! Let freedom ring!!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Rumor Has It</div> <div> By; Sabrina Mastrogiovanni </div> <div>    </div> <div> The title almost says it all. Humor has it. It's just missing the `all.' </div> <div>    If my life were a pie which was meticulously divided into different parts based on broad aspects of my life, humor would be considered a big part of the pie. </div> <div>    Everyday, unless you work in a morgue or some other classified “depressing” job, you are surrounded by humor. Either you are producing the humor, you are being told the humor, or you are eavesdropping on someone else and their humor escapades. (Which is <B>OK</B>, just don't laugh noticeably loud) Either way, you are a witness to humor. And I can safely say that life without humor would be like a cupcake without colorful frosting and fun confetti sprinkles. I don't see enough of those, though. So…That was a bad analogy. <I>Anyway</I>…  Humor is an umbrella of different sub-categories. Currently, I can think of four: jokes, slapstick, puns, and sarcasm. </div> <div>    </div> <div>    <B>Jokes: </B>Jokes are a timeless classic. If they're funny enough, you might even produce a few laughs. Or many. Depends on the joke. Jokes are also very broad. They can be, as I call them, a `knee-slapper', or a more serious joke. Either way, jokes are great. There's nothing like filling a dull Saturday afternoon searching for laughter. </div> <div>    <B>Slapstick: </B>Easily the simplest form of comedy. Hit someone in the head and you're guaranteed laughs from some innocent bystander. However, I'm not that much of a fan of slapstick. It doesn't tip my hat. Why? It's juvenile. No <I>class</I>. It's the lowest form of comedy with no heart and thought. Personally, I think slapstick is funny when it unintentionally happens. You can't help but crack a smile when a buddy trips going <I>up</I> the steps. Hey, I can't help but laugh when <I>I</I> trip up the steps. Or get hit in the face with a dodge ball during gym. But my opinions about dodge ball are a completely different story.    </div> <div>    <B>Puns:</B> You can never get enough puns! Well, at least I can't! I absolutely <I>love</I> puns. Why? Because puns have <I>class</I>. They are just about understood by everybody who has an appreciation for humor, and they're funny! Puns are basically a play on words, and <I>pages</I> of fun! (Haha. That was a pun there, if you didn't catch it.) </div> <div>    <B>Sarcasm</B>: Believe it or not, sarcasm is indeed a form of humor. Sarcasm is usually just a quiet comment someone utters to no one in particular. Sarcasm is normally rude. While sarcastic comments can be hilarious, it's usually not appropriate.  </div> <div>    Hopefully you've been enlightened with these aspects of comedy. Without comedy, we can simply say that Earth wouldn't be an oblate spheroid. It'd just be a sphere. And sphere's aren't all that interesting, in  my opinion.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Student Booster Ads Now or Never</div> <div> By: Allie Wallgren</div> <div>    In the yearbook there is still some space for student booster ads and parent ads. The space is limited and so is the time to get them. Student booster ads cost less than the parent ads, but they are mainly just for congratulating the graduating students.</div> <div>    Student booster ads are not very costly and are a good way to say goodbye to a graduating student or simply just to say you are going to miss them. These ads are only written about the graduating students. You can be a freshmen, sophomore, junior, or senior putting a message in the yearbook that is directed towards a senior. These ads only cost ten dollars for a maximum of three sentences. These ads consist of only words no pictures. It is a great way to show a graduate that you care and that memory will be with them forever. </div> <div>    Parent ads are also available but the space is limited so hurry! These ads are mainly directed to the seniors from their parents. These ads can have pictures and words of just words. For an eighth of a page which is the smallest amount of page you can buy costs $75. A quarter of a page with two photos is $100 dollars, half of a page costs $150, and a full page costs $250. </div> <div>    If you did not receive a sheet to order one of these ads then go to Ms. Davies in room 206 or find Carolyn Carrier. Space is available but limited so buy one before its too late! These ads that are from parents to their seniors are a great way to show them how proud you are.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Table Tennis and Badminton tournaments</div> <div> By: Allie Wallgren           </div> <div>    For twelve years placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeHigh School has held a tournament called the Ron Francisco Memorial Badminton and Table Tennis Tournament. This tournament is held at placePlaceNameLiberty PlaceTypeHigh School towards the end of February. In order to be eligible to compete in the tournament, you must be in grades nine through twelve and want to either compete in playing table tennis or badminton. There are approximately thirty two teams who compete in the badminton tournament and it's called a doubles game, and approximately forty boys and twelve girls enter the table tennis part of the competition.</div> <div>    The gym classes are told by the gym teachers that “this unit of gym is the unit that most of the funds and money goes into.”  Many people think this unit is worth it because this is when ALL of the students pass. According to Mrs. Novello, “This is a good unit to encourage passing. It is an opportunity given to all students to help them succeed in gym.”  In other words, it is very uncommon to see anyone sitting out in this unit. Some schools also hold tournaments which include badminton, table tennis, and pickle ball.</div> <div>    This tournament started twelve years ago and is dedicated to Ron Francisco. Ron Francisco had a passion for badminton. Anyone he went up against he could beat down. He was a gym teacher here at liberty and a phenomenal one. Being so young, Ron's death was totally unexpected to his loved ones.  The Ron Francisco Memorial Badminton and Table Tennis tournament will allow everyone to remember this well achieved man who many looked up to.</div> <div>    The badminton tournament is open to high school students. Whether you are in it to be competitive or just to have fun, good at these two sports or bad, the Ron Francisco Memorial Badminton and Table Tennis tournament is to be enjoyed by all.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> SCIL Freshman/Sophomore Meet</div> <div> By: Guadalupe Perez and Jeni Stolow</div> <div>    On March 6, 2008, the Liberty SCIL teams traveled to Roscoe to compete in a SCIL meet. The teams included placeCityLiberty, StateMonticello, Sullivan West, Roscoe, Eldred, Fallsburg, and Livingston Manor. For placeCityLiberty, the students competing were Sabrina Mastrogiovanni, Jeni Stolow, Taylir Lorino, Kirsten Sauer, Alexandra Hercules, Jessica Lambert, Megahn Burke, Paulina Klienberger, Guadalupe Perez, Jasmine Walizadeh, Sam Heinle, and Sara Hazelnis.</div> <div>    This SCIL meet's theme was organizing an event to raise awareness about a certain cause. Our team decided to be original and chose to plan an event to promote National Library Week. For this they had to first brainstorm an idea and plan the event as a team. Jeni Stolow had the job of writing out the event's agenda. Jasmine Walizadeh and Sara Hazelnis wrote an excellent and very formal letter to a <I>pretend</I> principal about the event. While they did this, Paulina Kleinberger and Kirsten Sauer were busy planning out what would be served during the event and how much it would cost. Guadalupe Perez and Alexandra Hercules were plotting out a promotional flyer. Jessica Lambert had a creation of a little bookworm that everybody around found absolutely adorable! Sabrina Mastrogiovanni and Taylir Lorino made up an announcement which they performed on stage; sound effects provided by Sam Heinle and Jeni Stolow. While everybody else was hard at work planning this event, Megahn Burke and Sam Heinle had the task of designing a new SCIL shirt! Their creativity showed when they submitted an astounding design with the theme of “No Limitations”. Overall the team did not do as well as they wanted, but got third place overall. They brought a beautiful trophy home. Congratulations to all the ladies... and Sam!</div> </td> </tr></table></body>